The Legend of the Scarlet Blade
by Lunord
Summary: As our heroes sail across this stirring tale, who know what fates they shall encounter as they meet with the allseeing cardmaster, unenthusiastic swordsman, and mechanical alchemist?
1. Welcome Aboard

The Legend of the Scarlet Blade

"Excuse me, sir? Are you in here?" a figure said looking into the half opened door.

The man at the desk closed his book and looked up. "Of course I am, why would I not be? What can I help you with? And quit looking in from the doorway, get in here and talk like a normal person."

The one in the doorway took the advice and strolled in. "Ah, yes! The Captain wants to have a word with you, something about a mission."

"Is that so?" the man said as he stood up, revealing his rather tall stature. "Well, let's not keep her waiting, shall we?"

The two of them left the office and headed off down the corridor. A quick glance outside the windows in the hallway revealed that the recent storm was starting to clear up. Without a word to each other, the two silently reached a grand set of doors at the end of the corridor. The messenger reached out to knock on it.

"Enter," a voice called from the inside before the door was even struck.

The two proceeded inside, with the messenger staying behind, as the taller one approached the lady at the desk.

"Ensign Ghaleon, reporting for duty!" The tall one called out.

"Oh come now, there's no need for formalities around me Lunord," the woman said with a bit of a smirk.

"Well in that case, how are you today, Axiz?" Lunord replied, returning the smirk.

The messenger came forth, "Captain Starson, don't you have orders for Ensign Ghaleon here?"

"You always were a straight to the point kind of guy, Issac," Axiz responded with a look that clearly matched her dislike for formal titles.

Issac scratched his head and grinned. "Guess it just runs in the whole Crane family."

Axiz turned back to Lunord. "Well, as Issac did say, I do have orders for you. Ships have been arriving in shambles, and some have been disappearing altogether. We've traced the source of the problem to the Frontier, but we're not quite sure what it is. The way that whole patch of sea is, I wouldn't doubt it if it was another uncharted reef. Your job is to go find out what it is."

"Is that all?" Lunord said with a boastful grin. "I'll have it done in no time!"

"Good to hear it. I've already taken the liberty of having your ship ready to set sail," Axiz stated. "Oh! Before I forget, you've a new transfer into your crew. She's a very skilled navigator, better than most of the new recruits I've seen. She's already aboard, and you can meet her then."

"Is that so? Well I look forward to looking with her," Lunord then turned to Issac, "Mr. Crane, shall we?"

And with that the two headed out of the Captain's office and down to Fortune Harbor, the most prestigious port on Victoria Island. It also happened to be the capital of the island, the home of Fandango palace.

Lunord and Issac maneuvered their way though the docks until they came to a ship painted with scarlet paneling and silver siding. This was the _Scarlet Blade_, Lunord's personal cutter, and one of the most notorious ships in Fandango.

"Ahoy sir!" the sailors aboard the ship called as Lunord and Isaac hopped aboard.

"Ahoy everyone!" Lunord returned. "So, where's the new one?"

A young madam stepped forward. "Hello there Mr. Ghaleon. I'm Fopah. Fopah Sforzando."

"A rather unusual name, but then again, aren't they all?" Lunord chuckled. "All humor aside, pleased to meet you."

"Ehh…I'm not really fond of my name. They say it means 'Mistake' in another language."

"Is that so? Well I can assure you, you are far from being. Anyway, I suppose I'd better introduce you to the rest of the crew." Lunord pointed over to the cannon Issac had wandered off to. "That's Issac Crane. Very formal, goes right to the point. He's our gunner."

"You mean the one that's asleep on the thing?" Fopah questioned.

Lunord turned around, and sure enough, Issac was out cold. Lunord walked up and asked, in a soft voice, "Issac, are you asleep?"

No response.

Lunord took a quick look into the cannon, and then a look in the direction it was pointed. "Good, it's loaded, and there's nothing to worry about hitting." Lunord took out a bit of flint from his pocket.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Fopah said with a very noticeable amount of alarm in her voice.

"It's called a wake-up-call," Lunord said as he sparked the fuse.

The cannon fired, and the entire crew watched as Issac jumped clear into the rigging, shaking rather violently.

"Good morning Issac!" Lunord called.

"G-G-Good morning, s-sir," Issac responded feebly.

Lunord turned back to Fopah, "Okay, moving on…"

"Hey, what about the guy in the rigging by choice?" Fopah said pointing upwards.

"Ah, that'd be Vivi Ornitier, our crew sail master. One of the better ones I've seen," Lunord responded with a proud look.

Vivi slid down a rope next to the two. "Oh come on Lunord, you're embarrassing me…"

Lunord continued, "Well, there's Mr. Crane, Mr. Ornitier…has anyone seen Danet?"

At the sound of the name, a head popped out of the hold. "Danet Adelbert, at your service!"

"And he's our craftsman. With all the other spots taken, I guess that makes you our helmsman," Lunord explained to Fopah. "I'll let you take it when we're just sailing about, but should we engage another ship, I'll take over."

"Got it! Any other policies I should know about while we're on the subject?" questioned a curious Fopah.

"Here's one. I've managed to pull some leverage with the Captain regarding our weapons. You are allowed to use one of your own choice. Danet brought along a nice wooden maul, Vivi currently has a whip in tow, Issac has a rather wicked spear, and I myself have a simple cane. It gets the point across without actually killing the person."

A look of enthusiasm came to Fopah's face. "Hey, I can use the bandit's dagger my Granddad gave me."

"Indeed you can, but there are two conditions. The first, you must be able to use your weapon skillfully. And the second, you must still carry around a Fandango issued sword," Lunord explained. "Well, it would seem all our formalities are taken care of. Full sail, Mr. Ornitier! To sea we go!"

"Aye aye, Sir!" chorused the crew.


	2. A Skirmish on the Frontier

Fopah was a skilled navigator, much better than Lunord had anticipated. Aside from one minor incident that a bit of paint would fix, all was perfect. Had the navigator been an unskilled recruit, the ship would have been incapacitated, if not underwater at that point.

Issac had waken up from a more peaceful slumber and shuffled over to Lunord. "So, what's the plan of action?"

"Well, since it's been hypothesized that there's an uncharted reef, we're going to go over these charts and figure it out."

"But…but that sounds boring!" Issac clearly showed his disdain for this plan.

Lunord explained, "Yes, I know. But there are measures that need to be taken. How would you feel if your ships were--?"

Lunord froze mid-sentence. He had picked up the sound of a burning fuse. None of his cannons were lit.

"Everybody get down!" Lunord called.

The crew hit the deck as a volley of iron shot sailed over the deck, some would've hit the crew had they been standing. A ship bearing a fox head flag had sailed out from behind some rocks. The Scarlet Blade had found the problem of the scuttled ships. Pirates.

Pirates were a common occurrence in these seas. Calling them on that, however,was a bit challenging. As there were many different flags in use, pirates did not opt for a typical Jolly Roger. There were two ways to identify them, their reaction to other ship, or what the crew was wearing. Take Fandango; if one did not know the flag, they easily stood out by their white and purple uniforms.

"Return fire! Let's show them what we're made of!" Lunord called out to the crew.

The two ships sent shot back and forth with nary a scratch on either. It was then that Lunord noticed the pirates had ceased fire. It appeared that they were loading white shot into the cannons and aiming them above the hull. The cannons roared and a swarm of porcelain shards tore through the sail. Though they were still usable, the volley had found another mark; a now injured Vivi was found falling toward the deck.

The fallen sail master would recover, but was out of commission for the rest of the engagement. The antagonist ship seems pleased with their hit and sailed away. The Scarlet Blade had a bit of time to rest, that is, before a much larger ship bearing the same flag came upon them.

"Fopah, bandage him up, make sure he'll make it back to landfall. Alright mates, let's send these scoundrels to the deep!" Lunord called out. "This one looks a bit slower, but it probably packs a nasty punch. Let's outrun it and fill it with shot!"

This plan, however, also seemed to be that of the new threat, as it fired at every chance it got. The Blade was much quicker though, and dodged many of the shots fired. It seemed an impasse though, a large ship that couldn't hit the small one, and a small ship that did little damage.

Once again, the cannons ceased, and it was guessed that another prototype shot was to be fired. This one was vastly more deadly. Instead of a wave of porcelain shards, two cannonballs chained together sailed over the sea and into the base of the Scarlet Blade's mast.

Danet didn't need to be told what to do. Almost immediately he was working on repairs to the nearly toppled mast. "She's in bad shape, but she'll hold. Just don't take any other hits!"

Lunord saw an opportunity in this. He wouldn't be taking any other shots, and he'd be able to sink the attacking vessel. In a moment of overconfidence, the assailants clipped the side of their ship on one of the reefs jutting from the water. This left a nice gash, revealing a portion of the hold. The powder store.

Lunord shouted over to the frantic gunman, "Issac! Aim for that gap in the hull!"

"You can count on me. I never miss." Issac said with a coy smirk as he adjusted the cannon.

Issac was true to his word. The Blade's cannon fired, and the shot found its mark. It was quite a sight to see the aft portion of the ship explode, with planks splintering and falling into the sea. This battle had been won. The battered crew of the beaten Scarlet Blade floated their way back toward landfall, back to their home of Fortune Harbor.

As the other ship came to the rescue of the fallen pirates, Lunord looked back at the scene of the encounter. "They weren't average brigands, that's for sure. One of the more intense encounters I've had in awhile. Well fought."


	3. The Untouchable

The Untouchable

"Mr. Ghaleon! Mr. Ghaleon! Urgent news!"

Lunord and the rest of his crew turned to this distraction running down the pier to the repair site of the Scarlet Blade. Repairs were well underway, and the once injured Vivi was walking again, though not completely healed.

"Mr. Ghaleon, you have to come quick!" The messenger was quite winded, from hysterics or from running, Lunord couldn't tell.

"What's the issue? Take a breath before you hyperventilate and tell me what's going on."

The messenger took a few deep breaths. "It's that bandit that's recently been attacking the citizens. We need your skill to bring him in!"

"Alright, I'll give it a try…but what do you mean by 'my skill'? Surely there are other guards with skills of their own."

"That's just it. Other guards have been sent, and been incapacitated while this bandit remains unscathed. He was last spotted in the square."

"Alright, I'm off," Lunord said as he snagged his hat. "I'll trust you to help out my crew in their repairs in my absence," he said as he ran off toward the town square.

Prism Square was usually full of activity, festivals, markets, etc. Today though, it was deserted save for one person. He sat upon an upper level of the statue, the statue of some hero long forgotten. He was a tall person with silver hair, dressed in a maroon coat, while twirling a playing card in his hand. As he turned to address the visitor, Lunord noted that his hair covered one of his eyes. "Ensign Ghaleon, if I'm not mistaken. They must be getting desperate now."

"And what's that supposed to mean? Or maybe perhaps they just want this matter resolved right. Perhaps that's why I've been elected to deal with you," Lunord quipped.

The bandit flicked his card at Lunord, and though he jumped out of the way to dodge it, he was still cut by it across his right cheek. "Meh, whatever your reasoning is…though you will soon come to fear Mile the Untouchable!" As he drew his sword, he jumped down from the statue and began walking toward the staggering Lunord.

_Was that card enchanted? _Lunord thought. He came to his senses and drew his own blade in response.

Sword fighting was one of Lunord's specialties; he was one of the best fencers within the ranks. As he advanced upon Mile, he parried his opponent's attack…and found himself cut upon his arm.

"I told you, you'll never be able to land on hit on me! But, by all means, you're more than welcome to try!" Mile said with a sinister laugh following.

_I don't get it, did he get lucky off that parry? I better change my plan._

Lunord decided to play a bit more defensively, waiting for an opening in Mile's movements, but to no avail. While he was able to prevent further injury, he was unable to deal any in response. And so the struggle went on, across the square, by some of the shops, through a few of said shops, but nothing changed between the combatants.

_What am I missing? Unless…that card…did he know I'd dive that way? And that parry, could he see right through it?_

Much to Lunord's surprise, his unspoken question was answered. "Precisely. I can foresee your every move. Why do you think I'm called 'The Untouchable'? Because I can see everything thrown at me! I told you, but you were too foolish to realize this!"

_What! It makes sense though…does this mean I have to fight with a method I don't know the result of?_

Much to Lunord's advantage, the two had just wandered into the AutoMetal Storage Warehouse. Lunord quickly observed the surroundings and developed a plan, which Mile showed a look of worry in response.

"What are you doing! You'll kill us both!" Mile shouted.

The AutoMetal Storage facility was a very unique idea. Instead of a large building, it was a tall building, with crates of belongings and property suspended on a system of pulleys. It was clear that neither participant knew how the system worked, but Lunord tried his hand at it, by slashing random ropes.

Several crates and boxes were sent falling toward the ground, a few Lunord had to dodge himself, but finally he got lucky as one stuck Mile as he tried to jump from it.

"You might be able to foresee an opponent's moves, but dodging them is much harder when you're already injured," Lunord said with a smug look. "Don't you agree?"

"Ugh…alright, you win. I'll cease from my activities, on this you have my word. But I cannot afford to be imprisoned at this time. If you'll excuse me…" Mile got to his feet, albeit he was limping badly and clearly in no condition to be walking, let alone moving. When Lunord began to move toward Mile, the bandit threw a card that exploded in a cloud of smoke. "I will tell you this though; these are dark times for Fandango. Questionable plans are being hatched, vile ideas are coming forth. Watch your back out there, lest you find it subject to this scourge."

When the smoke cleared, Mile was gone.


	4. Dreaming of a Nightmare

Dark times were indeed afoot. Three days after the fall of the infamous Mile, the siege began. The neighboring nation of Avalon attacked without warning and Fortune Harbor, not to mention the rest of Victoria Island was suffering without its trade routes. All the officers of the Fandango Navy were in a conference, discussing their battle plans.

"This is the ninth day of this ludicrous blockade." Axiz pounded her fist into the table. "What could have made Avalon do this? Granted we've never been on good terms, but nothing like this before."

Lunord sighed, "You never know what some people will do. One minute they're civil, the next they can be compl-"

The doors to the conference room flew open and a very flustered sailor ran in. "This is the end! Avalon has dispatched the Grand Dream! The war frigates went down without a fight! It's coming right for us unattested!"

Everyone in the room gasped, some ran to the windows to check. Everyone was dead silent. Avalon had sent their flagship, the pride of their navy to end this blockade.

Axiz finally broke the silence, "There's no more of our ships out there! And the Ever Dream is being repaired too…this may really be the end…"

"Ready the Scarlet Blade."

"Ensign Ghaleon, are you mad!" The sailor stared in disbelief. "There's no way you'll be able to-"

Lunord grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close. "Did I stutter?" Lunord whispered in his ear and pushed him to the door. "Got it? You've got ten minutes. Well? What are you waiting for? Move it!"

As the sailor ran for the harbor, the rest of the officers stared at Lunord.

"You've got to be kidding…"

"There's no way…"

"You're either crazy or desperate…"

Axiz blinked and shook her head. "I don't know what you're planning, but whatever it is, come back alive. If you die out there, I'll kill you."

Lunord stood up, took off his hat, and bowed before the officers. He turned and proceeded to the harbor himself.

The Scarlet Blade was ready to sail when Lunord arrived, the crew was ready for this desperate counter-attack. Few pleasantries were exchanged before the vessel was set underway. The crew was confused why Lunord had asked for their specific stock, there were far too few cannonballs to do significant damage to the Grand Dream. They didn't have the heart to ask though. Most of their short voyage was in silence.

"Sir, do you know what you're doing?" Issac questioned.

"…"

"Sir?"

No response. They were nearing the Grand Dream.

"Lunord! Answer me you madman! What are you planning!"

"…abandon ship."

The whole crew was stunned. The captain of their vessel had ordered them to abandon ship, right before engaging an enemy ship.

"What are you thinking!"

"I'm thinking that some sacrifices need to be made in order to save our nation."

"It makes sense…no wonder you didn't ask for many cannonballs. You had the ship loaded with powder instead. You're going to ram that ship! You're going to use the Scarlet Blade to sink the Grand Dream!"

"You're a quick one, I'll give you that. Now, if I'm not mistaken, I believe I gave you all orders. Please honor them"

"…aye aye, Sir."

The Grand Dream had started firing its cannons, thinking that the new defender was going to engage it. The crew of the Scarlet Blade had used one of the lifeboats to distance themselves from the engagement. They were a good distance away when the heard the crash and splintering of lumber as their ship collided with the Grand Dream. It reeled like it was caught in a storm.

Back on the deck of the Scarlet Blade, Lunord got to his feet after being stunned by the impact. One of the Avalonian gunners had dropped their torch which was now lying within reach of Lunord. He picked it up and threw it into the cargo hold.

"For Fandango…"

And with that, the Scarlet Blade exploded in a shower of sparks and lumber, taking a vast portion of the Grand Dream's hull with it.

The crew in the lifeboat and the officers back in the harbor hung their heads as they watched both ships sink beneath the waves.


	5. Revelations upon the Waves

"Where am I?"

"You are onboard the Rising Sun, currently sailing the waters of Fortune Harbor."

"Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Because you live there"

"I do? Hey, wait a minute, who are you?"

"You do, or rather, did. As for my identity, I am known as the Scarecrow."

"What do you mean 'did'? Wait…am I dead?"

"Define dead," the Scarecrow began. "If by that you mean that all your friends and family do not acknowledge you living among them, then yes. However, you are still alive, unbeknownst to them."

"Great. While we're at it, who am I?"

"You don't remember? Well, I can understand that, you were dealt a pretty nasty shock. You've been asleep for about two days."

"What happened to me?"

"You saved your home"

"…what do you mean by that?"

"You are Ensign Lunord Ghaleon, the savior of Victoria Island. You sacrificed yourself and your ship to save your homeland. Ringing any bells?"

"…by crashing it into the Grand Dream. I remember now…but that doesn't explain why I'm here. And why can't I see you?" Lunord said.

"I just lit the lanterns; all you have to do is open your eye."

The Scarecrow was revealed to be tall in stature, with disheveled silver hair. He was wearing tight fitting clothing complimented with mask that covered his nose and mouth. He was also wearing a sash that covered his left eye. The emotion that showed in his right eye seem to be that of indifference, a lack of interest. What was most striking about him was that he had four swords sheathed by his sides.

"What do you mean by 'eye'?" Lunord questioned. "You're the one with only one eye, not me."

"Actually, it's the other way around, both of mine are fine. By now you've noticed the sash over your right eye? You lost it playing hero."

The Scarecrow was correct, Lunord had indeed lost his right eye. It wasn't uncommon for a sailor to lose an eye or other appendage during their encounters. It wasn't pleasant, but it did happen.

"Hmm…you're right…but hey, this sash, isn't it yours?"

"It was, it's yours now. Don't worry about it, keep it, it's much more fashionable than an eye patch anyway."

"Are you sure? I mean, I can have som-"

The Scarecrow cut Lunord off mid-sentence, "Don't worry about it. Trust me, that's going to be small change compared to what I going to do for you next. Recall how I said you used to live in Fortune Harbor?"

"Yeah, that kind of sounded odd. What did you mean by that?" Lunord said with a quizzical look.

"That's why I picked you up instead of your navy pals. I'm afraid it would…not be in your best interests to return."

"That's absurd! You said yourself I was a hero, how could it be bad?"

The Scarecrow shook his head. "I've said my offer, it's your call. What will it be, take your chances on the shore, or leaving sea-bound with me? I hope you'll choose the latter."

"Your hope is misplaced; take me back to Fortune Harbor, if you please."

"As you wish," the Scarecrow said as he headed to the deck. "Get some rest, you're injured. Or grab a blanket and come on deck if you don't trust me."

Lunord trusted him and stayed below, thinking about the conversation, and the loss of his eye. The Scarecrow came to get him when they reached the dock.

As Lunord stepped off the ship onto the pier, he looked up and gazed at the moon and stars above.

"Watch your back out there," the Scarecrow called from behind him. "These are dark times for Fandango."

"What are you talking about? The blockade already happened, I was the one that ended it. The dark times are over."

"My friend, they've only just begun."


	6. Questionable Ethics

Three days. That's how long Lunord was able to rest and recover before he was given his next mission. He was still laughing at how when he came back, everybody thought the "ghost of Ensign Ghaleon" had come back to haunt them all. Now, here he was, being handed orders directly from the monarch of Fandango.

"You are to lead a negotiations operation to Waterberry, an island in the western seas," Lunord read aloud. "It is in the hope that our kind gesture will hopefully ease the tension between Avalon and ourselves. You will handle the negotiations with the harbor patrol in order to allow our goodwill ships to land. The crews for said ships have already been briefed on this matter. Go forth in the name of Fandango. Malcherus Frostsabre"

Lunord set the letter down on the table. "This doesn't sound too bad. You know, this is the first time I've actually communicated with the monarch."

Axiz nodded, "He's very secretive, I don't know why. I've only corresponded with him via letters."

"In any case, I'd better be off. This sounds like a good plan, I want to get this underway. Good day, Axiz," Lunord said as he left the Captain's office.

"And to you as well, Lunord"

As Lunord headed to the harbor, he though to himself. He thought about his actions during the blockade, what had happened to his crew in his absence, and mostly about what the Scarecrow had said to him. He still remembered being welcomed back. Everyone thanked him for his actions, and consoled him for the loss of his eye. The "Hero's Festival" they threw the day he came back was still fresh in his memory, in truth, Lunord was still reeling from it. He was brought back from his sub-consciousness as he saw the sight of his ship waiting for him. Or, rather, the remake of it, the navy had salvaged most of the original and rebuilt it.

As Lunord climbed aboard, he was greeted by an unfamiliar voice behind him, "Good day Captain. Hope you're feeling better."

Lunord turned to look at the source of this new voice, only to be greeted by a whole new crew. "Who are you? What happened to my crew?"

"Don't worry, they're alright, this is just a temporary thing. We're trained diplomats, not just regular sailors." The diplomat pointed over to some other ships in the harbor, "Those guys will be trailing us, they've got the goodwill package. Thought I'd tell you now, so you aren't startled when you spot some ships following your own."

"Well thank you for the warning. But frigates though? Must be a very large delivery…" Lunord said, scratching the back of his neck.

"We've prepared a very special gesture, to relieve tensions between our nations, and hopefully patch everything up. I guess we're all set. Captain, when you're ready."

"Hmm? Ah, yes! Yes, you're right. Let's not stall any longer," Lunord chuckled. "To sea then!"

The Scarlet Blade set sail, with the three frigates following it. The diplomat crew provided very little conversation; Lunord could hear the birds overhead and the waves crashing on the bow. He even decided to take a rest in the cabin and let the navigator take over, Waterberry was several hours away. Something didn't feel right though, something kept nagging in the back of Lunord's mind.

When Lunord awoke, they were still moving. He figured he had only been asleep for an hour or so. He went above deck and saw those three ships still following them.

"So what's in those ships?" Lunord questioned the nearby diplomat.

"Didn't they tell you? They have our goodwill package."

"Well, I was told that, but what exactly does this 'package' contain?"

"Ah, you need not worry yourself with the specifics. Just some quantities of things we felt the island needed."

"I see…" Lunord said as he walked away. Something was afoot, there was no doubt in his mind. Whatever those ships had was either incredibly good, or something else. Lunord hoped it was the former, and that the diplomats were having a very hard time being modest.

The sun was setting as the ships neared Waterberry. The three frigates had fallen behind to wait for the "go ahead" to land. The Scarlet Blade sailed ahead and was greeted by the harbormaster.

"A little odd to be sailing around these waters 'Dango. You get lost or something?" stated the captain of the vessel, Lunord presumed him to be the harbormaster.

"Uh, no actually, we were headed here. You see, we bring a gesture of goodwill," Lunord explained to the gruff harbormaster.

"Looks like some kind of 'gesture' you got there," he said, looking at the frigates that stayed behind. "What is it?"

One of the diplomats took over, "Just some things we thought the island could use. We're pretty sure it'll be exactly what you need."

"Yeah, Fandango was looking to ease tension with Avalon, so that's why we're here. Just an effort to settle our issues and put all this strain behind us."

"Hmm…alright. Bring 'em ashore, let's see what you got," the harbormaster said as he shook hands with Lunord.

"Give them the signal," Lunord said to the diplomats. One of the walked over to the cannon with the flare and fired it. The Scarlet Blade made landfall and waited for the other three ships to land.

Lunord stood there with a proud expression as he watched the ships make their way ashore. Things weren't looking bad at all, he really had nothing to worry about. Once all three of the frigates were ashore, that's when it happened.

Lunord's expression was shattered and replaced with one of pure horror as soldiers came pouring out of the vessels armed with torches, swords, and blunderbusses. The chaos began immediately.

"What! What's going on!" Lunord grabbed the collar of the diplomat nearest him, "Those ships were supposed to be filled with a gesture of goodwill! How is this what this island needs!"

"This is precisely what this island needs," said the diplomat in a calm voice. "A fresh start."

"This can't be happening…"

The sound of cannon fire filled the air along with the smell of smoke and burning buildings. Lunord wandered down the street in a state of shock. A few soldiers ran past him as part of a building collapsed to his right. Bodies lined the street, blood flowed down the lane. Lunord came to a stop, and just stood there. He caused all this. None of this would have happened if not for him. It was all his fault.

"Ensign Ghaleon." Lunord was approached by one of the diplomats. "It's time to go. Our work is done."

No response.

"There's no need to stay longer than we have to."

Still no response.

"Lunord, I really think…" He motioned for another diplomat to come over. "…that it's time we should be going," he said as they picked Lunord up and carried him back to the Scarlet Blade. As they brought him aboard, he looked up. Even the moon seemed to be stained red.

The diplomats dropped him off in the cabin and set a course back to Victoria Island. For the entire trip, Lunord just stood there, motionless. Even after the ship had stopped moving, he remained.

One of the diplomats opened the doorway and peered in. "We've arrived back at Victoria Island, Ensign Ghaleon."

No response.

The diplomat sighed, "Well, when you're ready to disembark, feel free. Oh, and Fandango thanks you for your actions with this matter," he said as he left.

Lunord collapsed to the floor, crying.

"What have I done?"


End file.
